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At a Bold Meeting 250 Years Ago, the Continental Congress Set America in Motion

While far less famous than the coalition that met in 1775, this group of founders found agreement in their disagreements and laid the groundwork for a revolution

Grave 109 at Oakington is a rare triple burial, holding the remains of a female infant, a young woman (left) and an older woman (center). 

Archaeologists Uncover the Real Story of How England Became England

New research is revealing how the Sceptered Isle transformed from a Roman backwater to a mighty country of its own

Did Hawaiian dancers traditionally wear grass skirts? 

What's the History of Hawaiian Grass Skirts? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

A grand jury tasked with investigating the riots argued that the violence outside Peekskill “was basically neither antisemitic nor anti-Negro in character.”

The Peekskill Riots Revealed the Racism and Antisemitism Hidden Beneath the Surface of the Anti-Communist Movement

In the summer of 1949, World War II veterans protested a pair of concerts held by Paul Robeson, a Black singer and civil rights activist who expressed support for communist causes

“Paris must not fall into the hands of the enemy,” Adolf Hitler told his top general in Paris, “or if it does, he must find there nothing but a field of ruins.”

During World War II, the Liberation of Paris Saved the French Capital From Destruction

Adolf Hitler wanted Paris razed. Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted his troops to stay out of the city. In August 1944, an uprising by French resistance fighters forced the Allies to intervene

Vice President Kamala Harris greets members of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha after speaking at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on July 10, 2024 in Dallas, Texas

Discover the Special Meaning Behind Kamala Harris’ Pearls

The vice president, who will give a speech at the Democratic National Convention to accept the presidential nomination Thursday night, often wears jewelry connected to her historically Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha

Tutankhamun's tomb was one of the few royal Egyptian burials left largely untouched by ancient looters.

Discover the Hidden History of Tomb Robbing in Ancient Egypt

Criminals plundered the riches of Egyptian pyramids and underground burials, often within a few years or, in some cases, within a few hours of occupants' interment

The Sodder children, from left to right: 14-year-old Maurice, 12-year-old Martha, 9-year-old Louis, 8-year-old Jennie and 5-year-old Betty

What Happened to the Sodder Children, the Siblings Who Went Up in Smoke in a West Virginia House Fire?

Authorities said the Christmas 1945 blaze was accidental, but the victims' family believed otherwise, theorizing it was an act of arson designed to distract them while their loved ones were kidnapped

William E. Leuchtenburg's new book spotlights (from left to right) George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams.

What the American Revolution Taught the United States' First Presidents

A new book by historian William E. Leuchtenburg examines how the first six commanders in chief embodied the revolutionary spirit and set precedents that shaped their successors' tenures

Frustrated residents of Sheridan, Wyoming, coalesced around the idea of secession, allying with nearby communities to petition for their own state.

How the Great Depression Fueled a Grassroots Movement to Create a New State Called Absaroka

In the 1930s, disillusioned farmers and ranchers fought to carve a 49th state out of northern Wyoming, southeastern Montana and western South Dakota

A surviving section of the Themistoclean Wall, built in the fifth century B.C.E., is hidden underground on Athens' Dragatsaniou Street.

See the Historic Ruins Hidden Inside Everyday Buildings in Athens

Houses and businesses across the Greek capital incorporate—or obscure—structures spanning the city’s ancient, Byzantine, medieval and Ottoman eras

L to R: John F. Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. in London in 1937

The Top-Secret World War II Mission That Killed Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., the Heir Apparent to the Political Dynasty

In August 1944, the older brother of Robert and John F. Kennedy died while piloting a drone aircraft over England, leaving his younger siblings to fulfill their father's dreams

Athletes sit in front of a cabin in the Olympic Village at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France

How the Olympic Village Evolved From Makeshift Cabins to a City Within a City

The athletes' accommodations have come a long way in the last 100 years, expanding into modern global hubs

An 1838 illustration of Pindar, the lyric poet from ancient Greece, reciting one of the Olympian odes

Poetry Was an Official Olympic Event for Nearly 40 Years. What Happened?

Pierre de Coubertin hoped the modern Games would encourage the ancient Greek notion of harmony between "muscle and mind"

A few weeks after Harriet Beecher Stowe crossed paths with John Andrew Jackson, she began drafting Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The Black Fugitive Who Inspired 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and Helped End Slavery in the U.S.

New research sheds light on John Andrew Jackson, who sought help from Harriet Beecher Stowe during his escape from bondage

Members of the U.S. team participate in the opening ceremony at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

At the 1960 Olympics, American Athletes Recruited by the CIA Tried to Convince Their Soviet Peers to Defect

Al Cantello, a star of the U.S. track and field team, arranged a covert meeting between a government agent and a Ukrainian long jumper

Johnny Weissmuller (left) and Duke Kahanamoku (right) at the 1924 Paris Olympics

At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Tarzan Faced Off With the Ambassador of Aloha

The second Paris Games, exactly one century ago, hosted a 100-meter freestyle race that became an instant classic

In the first century B.C.E., Fulvia, Octavia and Cleopatra competed for Mark Antony's heart.

Who Were Cleopatra’s Rivals for Mark Antony's Love?

The Roman general’s third and fourth wives, Fulvia and Octavia, adopted varying strategies for luring their husband away from the queen of Egypt

Shade-protecting overhangs known as awnings line a street in New York City in the 1850s.

Six Innovative Ways Humans Have Kept Cool Throughout History

From sleeping porches to coastal escapes, these tips and tricks helped people deal with extreme heat before the advent of air-conditioning

Established in 2019, Indiana Dunes National Park represents one of the most understated successes of 20th-century conservation—and the battle is far from over today.

Inside the Fight to Save the Indiana Dunes, One of America's Most Vulnerable National Parks

Caught between steel mills, suburbs and a hard place, the 15,000-acre site is a fantasia of biodiversity—and a case study for hard-fought conservation

Smithsonian Channel

Preview thumbnail for video 'How the Meaning of Thanksgiving Has Changed

How the Meaning of Thanksgiving Has Changed

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Preview thumbnail for video 'This Object in History: Fernandomania

This Object in History: Fernandomania

Preview thumbnail for video 'This Ancient Egyptian Mega-Tomb Is the Largest of Its Kind

This Ancient Egyptian Mega-Tomb Is the Largest of Its Kind

Photo of the day

A working bit of history. The Tico Bell was an aircraft that flew during WWII and was involved in the D-Day battle. It's currently in a museum in Titusville, Florida. Prepping C41 Tico Bell for Takeoff